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Tag: Peter Stoller

For a limited time, you can pick up The Fall and Rise of Peter Stoller for just 99 cents. If you’re not familiar, it’s set in 1960s London and follows a gay British spy as he tries to determine whether his lover is actually a counteragent.

1. Name: Peter Stoller2. Role: Protagonist3. Age: 364. Description: Tall, thin, ash blond hair, grey eyes, sharp features5. Nickname: n/a6. Occupation: Intelligence Agent7. Location: London8. Goal in life: to take over the Agency when my boss retires9. Motto:Quod me nutrit me destruit (that which nourishes me destroys [me])
10. Family: Estranged mother, deceased father, deceased older brother11. Best friend: Charles12. Current conflict: Charles is accused of counterespionage, and Peter must find out the truth13. Favorite Food: Ice cream14. Addictions: Work15. Pet Peeve: Inefficiency16. Favorite Hobby: I don’t think I have any.17. What do you do for fun? . . . Work?18. Favorite childhood memory: Time spent with my brother. He always let me tag along.19. Dream job: Doing what I do.20. Favorite part of your day: Getting into the office before everyone else and settling in.21. Pessimist, Optimist, or Realist: Realist, I think.22. Beverage of choice: Tea.23. Most annoying person in your life: Depends on the day. There are a number of candidates. Miranda, Jules, Gamby… Trevor is always near the top of the list.24. Taken or single? Any love interests? Taken, very taken.25. Pets: None, unless Mr. Martin counts.26. Biggest Fear: Failure. On any front.27. Guilty Pleasure: A gentleman doesn’t discuss it.28. Most embarrassing moment: My first kiss. Any and every first kiss, come to think of it. That’s always an awkward moment.29. Greatest Strength: Loyalty.30. Greatest Weakness: Loyalty.31. Who do you most admire? Gordon Lessenby32. Are you keeping any secrets? It’s my job to keep secrets.33. Where do you see yourself in ten years? Still doing my job in whatever capacity I’m most needed.34. Advice for the reader as they follow you through your journey? It’s in my nature to withhold information. Probably best to keep that in mind.

I’m sad to have to admit having overlooked Peter’s birthday a couple days ago. A while back, you see, I established birthdays for him and Charles so I could have a look at their astrological charts and synastry. Yes, I’m that kind of a nerd.

You can see how it was love at first sight, and also how career is a stumbling block for them. Communication, too, is moderately tricky.

It’s a fun little exercise and a nice piece of additional detail to play with. Charles passed away some years ago (he was older by a few years, after all), but I have a feeling Peter is hanging on by his fingernails . . . Something of a recluse now, one of those pensioners who perpetually wears a cardigan . . . I picture him in a house made cavelike by wood paneling, lined with many bookshelves, a number of knitted afghans strewn about, and one ugly, threadbare armchair. Peter sits there and reads and sips tea. He’s slow but sharp as ever, isn’t interested in things like the Internet, telly works just fine for him, thank you.

That’s if you ever wondered what happened to them. And if you don’t even know who they are, read the novel.

If you’re only just now tuning in and thinking, Who’s Peter? Her boyfriend? Let me say . . . Kind of. In the way that writers’ characters are sort of like lovers. At least for me. I fall in love with my characters; I couldn’t write about them otherwise. And as with any relationship, there are ups and downs, and there are times when we don’t get along. We do things that irritate one another. And sometimes we need some alone time.

I’m probably crazy.

Anyway, I’ve been running flat-out on these revisions, and things had been going pretty well, and now I’ve hit the proverbial wall. I’ve been working for three days on a particular scene and can’t make it come out right. And before you say, Then move on—that’s not how I work. I shouldn’t say “never.” I have sometimes skipped ahead and written a scene that I know comes much later because it was just so fresh and clear in my mind and needed to be put down on paper (or screen). But I don’t have that right now, with this revision. I’m plowing through the old-fashioned way.

In any case, I’m exhausted enough now to want to chuck the whole thing right out a window. Of course, I won’t. I still love Peter deep down and could never jilt him. What I may try next is just writing random scenes and seeing what sticks. I think maybe I’ve been trying too hard to do something specific in this scene, rather than letting it flow naturally. And while each scene should have a purpose, it should never be forced. That’s probably why Peter is so annoyed with me.

And of course I’m impatient. I want to be done. But Peter and the novel deserve better than a rushed job. And the readers deserve better, too. So. Deep breath and start again . . .

So I’m finally going to try Instagram. But because my name was taken*, I’m using Peter’s name for the account. Yes, that’s right, one of my fictional characters has an Instagram account. It will probably consist largely of photos from my gardens because I am in love with all my flowers. I think Peter would approve.

*I mean various forms of “M Pepper” were taken. I didn’t try “Langlinais” because no one can ever spell it. In any case, if you do want to follow me (us?) on Instagram, the button is on the sidebar.